Body found near Hualien quarry raises flood disaster death toll to 19

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) The body of a woman was found in a vehicle near a quarry in Hualien County's Guangfu Township 14 days after the town was hit by severe flooding caused by a breach in the Matai'an Creek barrier lake on Sept. 23, bringing the death toll from the disaster to 19.

Chien Hung-cheng (簡弘丞), commander of the Hualien County Fire Department Urban Search and Rescue team, said that the badly bent vehicle was found buried in around one-story high of mud and debris.

The deceased is believed to be the missing owner of a quarry site, Chien said, adding that the car was registered in her name.

Chien said that local police and firefighters have dispatched machinery to excavate the vehicle and recover the body inside, with the quarry site deploying four excavators to assist the effort.

The identity of the body will be confirmed after it is recovered from the vehicle, he said.

The barrier lake breach flood had claimed 18 lives and left 6 missing as of Tuesday.